Our History

Lewis Ginter, a Richmond businessman and philantropist, was born in 1842 in New York, N.Y. Ginter formed the Sherwood Land Co. to develop residential neighborhoods north of Richmond, Va. His idea was to plan spacious residential communities incorporating schools, churches, and community centers. The first of Ginter's efforts, his namesake, was Ginter Park. Ginter died in 1897 and is buried in Hollywood Cemetery.

Much of the property which was acquired by Major Ginter was historic ground where the tribes of Powhatan first resided before they were driven out. In 1676 Nathaniel Bacon, who headed a rebellion preceding the Revolution, owned a plantation along what is now Chamberlayne Avenue.

This area, which was first established in Henrico County and later annexed to the city of Richmond, became an important suburb of the city, where many influential, independent thinkers and leaders resided.

Ginter Park was originally bounded by Brook, North, Moss Side down to Westwood, over to Hawthorne, down to Ladies Mile over to Brookland Park Boulevard and back to Brook. The 21-block area encompassed 352 buildings. The area averages 240 feet above the James River.

Lewis Ginter first built carpenters’ homes in Ginter Park on Cottage Avenue (now Hawthorne Avenue). The largest of these six cottages, at the corner of Walton and Hawthorne, served as quarters for the supervisor of Ginter’s land company.

Major Ginter gave 12 acres at Westwood and Brook for Union Theological Seminary to move from the Hampden-Sydney campus to its new location.

Lewis Ginter Community Building was built at the southeast corner of Hawthorne and Walton (3421Hawthorne Avenue), by Ginter’s niece, Grace Arants, and first used as a Town Hall and Schoolhouse.

Personal testimonials were published in the Times-Dispatch describing the healthful conditions of Ginter Park. First city in the United States to have an electric streetcar line.

Ginter Park was incorporated as a town. Its first and only mayor, The Honorable John Garland Pollard, later became Governor of Virginia. Pollard Park, named in his honor, marks the original entrance into Ginter Park from Richmond City.

The Lewis Ginter Community Building served as Town Hall and Municipal Offices for the Town Mayor and Town Council.

Richmond annexed Ginter Park into the city. In preparation for its incorporation into the City, the new Ginter Park School on Chamberlayne Avenue was built. For one seesion only, it was used as a Junior High School. After 1914, the “old school house,” as it was called, was used by Ginter Park organizations for meetings and social gatherings, Ginter Park Woman’s Club, and Lewis Ginter Masonic Lodge (none having the responsibility of keeping the building in repair).

After the city annexed Ginter Park, the “old schoolhouse” became the community center. “The mover behind the center was Grace Arents (Lewis Ginter’s neice). In her travels West, Miss Arents saw community centers which offered recreational facilities for every age.

Ginter Park Baptist and St. Thomas Episcopal Churches had their beginnings in this community building.

Ginter Park Citizen (a weekly paper for the Community Building) was published and made available through the Building and its Board of Directors (then directed by Frederic Jones).

The neighborhood was known for its family oriented opportunities. The Lewis Ginter Community Building hosted daily programs after school and dance cotillions on Fridays. Classes in reading/writing and art were routinely offered to the membership.